Tammy Algood: Legumes a delicious way to get meatless protein

Nov. 12, 2013

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Written by

Tammy Algood

For The Tennessean

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Junior Blackstone of Nashville is in the mood for chili. “I don’t like a lot of heat in my chili and every recipe I see has hot sauce or hot peppers in the ingredient list. Can you give me a substitution that will still make it memorable?” he asks.Junior, you are like my husband, so I know what you mean. I like to use ancho chili peppers, which in their fresh form are called poblano peppers. Dried, they have a slightly fruity hint to them and are the sweetest of the dried chilies. They have more depth than bell peppers, which is what you are looking for. You can find dried ground ancho chili powder in specialty markets.

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For centuries, legumes have been called the “poor man’s meat,” but now they are seeing a renewed surge in popularity. All I can say is, it’s about time!

Some of us have always been fans of legumes because of their unusually long shelf life and versatility, as well as their economic value. Add to that the health benefits and low calorie content and you’ve got a dinner winner.

Legumes have been feeding men and animals throughout the world for eons and are considered to be high-protein staples in areas where meat is scarce. Thousands of plants fall into the legume category, including peanuts, soybeans, and even clover and alfalfa. By definition, legumes produce seed pods that split along the sides when ripe. The ones we see on supermarket shelves in abundance year round are lentils, pintos, black beans, limas, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, white beans, split peas and field peas.

Give them a soak

With the exception of lentils and split peas, soaking is essential for a couple of reasons. First, it helps dissolve the indigestible sugars (oligosaccharides) that can cause digestive issues for some; and secondly, it returns moisture to the dried product and reduces cooking times.

I usually rely on the overnight soaking method in the interest of time. The legumes simply need to have enough water added to be covered by at least a couple of inches. Then let them soak for 6 to 8 hours.

The quick-soak method requires you to boil the legumes for 3 minutes, then remove from heat, cover and let stand for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Both methods work fine, it just depends on the time you have available.

No matter which method you select, the key to reducing digestive stress is to discard the soaking water and cover the legumes with fresh water. Then, follow your recipe, because cooking times vary with the size of the legumes and the temperature you are using.